today I attempted to do a coolant change on my 2003. I let the car cool down and climbed underneath. After reading various strategies here and on other forums, I hooked up a small hose and turned the drain valve on the bottom left of the radiator. I would say I got around 1/2 gallon out this way. Not knowing how to remove the lower hose on the right side bottom of the radiator (well, I figured out how to remove it, but couldn't get to it) I decided to take it over to a local repair shop for $50.
They put it up on a lift and attempted to drain the valve as I had (which I should point out is how their online instructions suggested.) I would say he got about another 1/4 gallon out of it only. He looked at me and I looked at him and I new the price was going up.
He grabbed a very long extension and removed the block plug and there we found LOTS of coolant. It poured out at a very fast rate ALL over the place for almost a minute I would say. He got hot coolant all over him and all over his shop and charged me $85. BARGAIN. (I provided the coolant though, which I had mixed in a 5-gallon jug, 2 parts distilled water, 2 parts Land Rover (blue) coolant which the dealer bent me over for $84 for the 2!)
In the end, if you are searching coolant change, coolant flush or changing coolant, hopefully you will see this and take it to a local shop to save yourself the trouble and mess of trying to do it yourself. Or, if you decide to do it yourself, don't skip removing the block plug.
Good luck!
They put it up on a lift and attempted to drain the valve as I had (which I should point out is how their online instructions suggested.) I would say he got about another 1/4 gallon out of it only. He looked at me and I looked at him and I new the price was going up.
He grabbed a very long extension and removed the block plug and there we found LOTS of coolant. It poured out at a very fast rate ALL over the place for almost a minute I would say. He got hot coolant all over him and all over his shop and charged me $85. BARGAIN. (I provided the coolant though, which I had mixed in a 5-gallon jug, 2 parts distilled water, 2 parts Land Rover (blue) coolant which the dealer bent me over for $84 for the 2!)
In the end, if you are searching coolant change, coolant flush or changing coolant, hopefully you will see this and take it to a local shop to save yourself the trouble and mess of trying to do it yourself. Or, if you decide to do it yourself, don't skip removing the block plug.
Good luck!
